Illinois has put an end to Iowa's Cinderella story and secured its first Final Four appearance in 21 years. The Fighting Illini, a No. 3 seed from the South Region, overcame a 4-point halftime deficit to defeat the No. 9 seeded Hawkeyes 71-59 in a thrilling Saturday night showdown in Houston. This victory sends Illinois back to the heartland of Big Ten country, where they’ll compete for a national title in Indianapolis.
This season has been nothing short of remarkable for Illinois, now boasting a 28-8 record. Their next challenge awaits the winner of the East Region final between top-seeded Duke and No. 2 seed UConn. But for now, the Illini are celebrating a hard-earned victory and preparing for their journey north.
The last time Illinois reached the Final Four was in 2005, when they advanced to the national title game but fell to North Carolina. The Illini are now aiming to break the Big Ten's 26-year championship drought, with the conference's last win coming from Michigan State in 2000.
Iowa, ending their impressive run with a 24-13 record, led 32-28 at halftime but couldn’t keep pace with Illinois in the second half. Despite taking a brief 51-50 lead with 7:27 left, Iowa was overwhelmed by a decisive 10-1 run from Illinois, who took a commanding 60-52 lead with just over four minutes remaining. Iowa closed the gap to 4 points with two minutes left, but Illinois sealed the deal with an 8-point finish.
While Purdue and Michigan still have opportunities to join the Final Four, Illinois has already secured its spot, outscoring Iowa 43-27 in the second half.
Illinois didn’t need to rely on their long-range shooting, hitting just 18% from beyond the arc. Instead, they dominated the boards with a 38-21 rebounding edge.
Keaton Wagler, a consistent force for the Illini, led all scorers with 25 points in 38 minutes. Andrej Stojakovic provided a spark off the bench with 17 points and 5 rebounds, while Tomislav Ivisic added 13 points, and David Mirkovic controlled the glass with 12 rebounds and 9 points.
Iowa struggled offensively, shooting just 38% from the field. Bennett Stirtz carried the Hawkeyes with 24 points, playing the entire game, while Tate Sage added 10 points off the bench.
Iowa’s journey was remarkable, highlighted by a second-round upset over defending champion Florida, but it was Illinois’ night to shine as they booked their ticket to the Final Four in Indianapolis.